Connector.



J; L. K. sonmqsmm & E. A; wmymls,

CONNECTOR.

APPLIOATIUH FILED BEATLES, 1910.

i3; Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

HODBL.

lesser-o.

erases earner orrion.

mites messes sense schiiits'nii' em; rmness: ALFRED wrmr'nm's, or vMmnnsroms; mmnnso're.

Specification of Letters Patent.

comtrlcron P'atentedaamo, 1914.

Application tiled Trim-ch :33, 191i). Ee'rihlNu. 551,227.

, To all whom it may; concern Be it known that we,JAMES'LA'llRITS'KRfiSE SORENSEN and Hemmer Anrnnn- Wmreenrs, citizens ofthe United States; residing at Minneapolis, in the county or"- Eennepinend State of Minnesota, have invented certi'rin new and usefulImprovements in Gonnectors; and-we do hereby declare'the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others llled in the art to which it appertains to make and u. ethe some. V

Our inve'n ion has for its object'- generslly toprovide anximprovedseparable connector or fastener for chains, cables and other separableparts, but is especially directedtothe provision-of a simple, durdbleand highly efiicient' safety connector or fastener for necklaces,chains, bracelets and similar articles of jewelry. v

.To the above ends the invention consists of the novel devices andcombinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying; drawings which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate likeparts throughout the several views. Referring tothe drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view showing the improved connector 1on a l-arg'cr scale. Figs. 2 and 3 are 1011 -itudinal sections takencentrally from t e connector and illustrating the difi'erent positionsof the pa'rts thereof, Fig. i is an and elevation of a fastener with thestem membc'r thereof removed. Fig. is a iew partly in plan and partly insection illustrating a modification in which one stem is' connected totwo barrels.

In the present design the itastener is made up of three principalelements, to Wit::a so-called barrel 1, a stem 2 and 'a spring pressedlock piece 3; and the barrel andsten i embers 1 end 2 are provided,attheir opg osite ends, with rings or eyes 4 and 5 respectively, towhich the ends of the chain, not shown, are adapted to be permanentlysecured. As shown the ring 4 is made integral with a head 6 that isrigidlysecured in the adjacent end of the barrel 1, so that in eilect itconstitutes a part of the said barrel. Before the said head was placedin position, however, the lock piece 3 was inserted into the saidbarrel. I

At its other end the barrel 1 is provided with a contracted stem passage7, n the present instance surrounded by an annular flange that 13V-shaped' in cross section. IIi'-' ward of the passage 7' the interiorsurface or the barrel 1 is hell shaped or flares as in dicated S, andthis is done for an important purpose, which will presently appear. Thestem 2 near its outer end} isprovidedwith a. lock shoulder preferablyiolindiby a V-shaped annular 1 have 9, which when the stem is inserted;as shown in Fig. 2, alines with the contracted portion of thepassiige'l. v

The lock iece sis prererebl rhadc tubelar and that portion which escendetowo'rd the stem passage 7 is contracted towardits end and is splitlbngitudinalt so as to form-- several segmental rmg lie prongs 102 Asshown, the lock piece 3 at its central por tion is provided witha'diametri'calty en tended sleeve 1-1 through which a releasing npin 13is passed.- The ends of tlie relea sixig pin 13 project beyond the sidesof the her-' rel 1 and work through elon eted slots 14 formed in thesides of the soi barrel. 4 A coiled spring 15'react's against the banrel head 6-and against the sleeve 1-1 of the lock piece ond exerts aforce which tends to hold the lock piece in the operative osi tion shownin Fig. 2. The tensionof'this s' a spring 15 is such that in forcing thelock piece into its operative position shown in" Fig. 2, the convergingsurface S of sai dlba.r'- 1 rel will force together the comer'gi'ng endsof the spring lprongs 10 and'concentrate the. same within tplunger-passage 7 with the ends of said prongs projecting slightlythrough the same. If then the stem 2 be inserted into the barrel, asshown in Fig; 2, the converging end of the said lock prongs '10 will beengaged in the annular lock groove 9 of the said stem and it will beimpossible to withdraw the said stern from the'barr'el by outward pullthereon.' The stem and spring lock prongs which are interlocked t whenthe said stem 2 may accidently get in in t al start out of the barrel.

When it is desired to separate the stem from the barrel this may be verveasily.

done, simply first by wilting hold or the end of the pin 13 and thendrawing the lock piece 3 into its IIlOPOIitlZlVG position shown In Fig.3,'against the tension of the spring When the lock piece 15 forced intoits inoperative position shown in Fig. 3, its spring prongs 10 Willspring adially apart and thereby automatically release themselves fromthe loch. groove or shoulder of the stem member. Preferably the end ofthe stem 2 is tapered or nr. dc conical so that it may be more easilyinserted into the flaring stein passage of the barrel and between theprongs of the lock piece.

The Coupler described as already indicated is capable of large range ofmodification and. use. The so called barrel and stem may take variousforms and may he made as parts of the members which they are arranged toconnect. The lock groove in the stem is in most instances ina e annularso as to ali'oril a swivel between the two connocting members, but insome instances this will not be necessary and a simple lug notch orshoulder may be employed.

The construction illustriued in Fig. 5 is like that above describedexcept that the stem 2 is ruled with detachahly tapered at both ends andpro two grooves 9, and this stem is connected to a pair of barrels 1having; the same lock incchanisn'i as the device shown in Figs. to 4.inclusive.

The so called lock devices have a sort of a clutch action in the stemsand themselves become wedged in the stem passages of the barrels in suchWay that they temporarily become. in ell'ecl', parts of the stems orplugs and enlarge the l: Her so that they cannot; be \viilulra'onoutward from the barrel or outside members.

.is already indicated, the improved couph-r is capable of incorporationin numerous -.lili'erent kinds of devices. iln addition to those alreadyspecifically noted may be ment-lwlltl'l l belt buckles, collar buttons,various i s ol harnesses and cable or rope cow plin es.

llhat. we claim is:

1. lo :1 (oupler of the hind described, the

l l l i l l l l l l l l l l g l combination with a barrel provided atone end with a contracted stein passage and with a cam surface flaringinward tl'ierelroin, of it stein insertihle through said passage andprovided with a n annular loch groove adapted. he alined with saidcontracted pass go, a lock piece mounted for sliding movement withinsaid barrel and provided with a projecting end portion engageable withthe lock groove of said stem and with the contracted passage of saidbarrel "While it is itself inserted into the said contracted passage,and a spring exerting a force on said lock piece tending-t0 maintain theinterlocking engagement noted.

. 2. In a coupler of the hind described, the combination with'a barrelprovided at one end with a contracted stein passage and with a camsurtace flaring; inward therefrom, of a stem inscrtible through saidpassage and provided with a lock shoulder milapteil to be alinedtherewith. lock piece mounted for longitudinally slit 'n MOTQ- incntsWithin said barrel and provio :l. Withconverging spring prongssin'inltaneously engageable with the lock shoulder oi said stem and withthe Walls of the contracted passage of said barrel, and a springexerting a force on said lock piece lending to maintain the interlockingengagementnoted.

3. in a coupler of the kind described, the combination With a barrelprovided at one end with a contracted stein passage and with a camsurface flaring inward therefimn of a stern inscrtible through saidcontrmzted pass-ago and having an annular loch groove adapted to bealined thoiewith a tubular locli piece mounted for sliding nnweiucnts insaid barrel and. provided with a l'!lllll1l- 'plicily of convergingspring prongs simultaneously e1 ageablo with the c lnlracled passage ofslid barrel and with the lock groove of said stein, a spring in saidbarrrl, exerting a. tort-e on said loch pic-cc tit-ruling to maintainthe interlocking engagement noted, and a, releasing stem projecting fromsaid lock piece to the exterior of said barrel, substantially asdescribed.

JAillllS lh'lllll-l'lh ltllUSll SGllllh Ell. HERllllTl/l litlilll)WlflllldltlS, Viitnesses:

FRANK A. Ran), W'. S. CIIADWICK, Jr.

